ok im a dudley player and by no means am i a noob but i have no fucking clue what frame data is i keep hearing stuff like its a 5 frame start up and shit like that…my question is what the hell is frame data?..i know how to play i know wha to do jus don know if i need to know this stuff. do i?
in 3S, it’s pretty important to know the general frame data for commonly used moves.
for example, knowing that ________ gives you +3 on block, allows you to formulate a strategies and tactics around _________. also, knowing your opponent’s frame data will be beneficial to you as well.
for example, knowing that Ken’s ____________ leaves him at -7 on block allows you to counter with Dudley’s (insert fast move here) with 100% certainty that Ken will get hit by your move.
Basically, frame data tells you what is possible and impossible.
Frames are a measurement of time in fighting games, generally equated with 1/60th of a second (60 frames/sec is the refresh rate of most televisions and monitors, and roughly the rate at which the human eye percieves motion; also, most games run at either 60fps or 30fps, and there is no loss of accuracy involved if you assume 60).
They’re useful because a second is a very long time in fighting games, so most discussions of timing regard very small fractions of a second, which can easily be expressed in frames.
“Frame advantage” occurs when a move causes you to recover before your opponent has recovered. “Frame disadvantage” is the opposite - the opponent recovers before you do. This is useful for figuring out what combos with what, and which stuff can be used to punish what moves. For example, if a Ken blocks Dudley’s c.mk (-12 on block), he has all the time in the world to punish with Shippu (which takes 3 frames to start up).
I wouldn’t really call it important to know - you can play the game, and play it well, without ever really getting your hands dirty with frames - but they can be a useful tool, and they make it easy to express what you mean or why something works to other interested parties.